Figure 1.--Amteur photography was very popular in Germany. This snapshot was probably taken when the boy's father was home from the front, certainly in the early1940s, possibly in 1942. The boy's name was Bertram. The family was from Wiesbaden. Note the serrated edges. The print ws 3x5 inches.

Amateur photography in the 1940s was affected by World War II. Soldiers took their cameras to war, especially German soldiers. This was in part because photography was so popular in Germany and so many soldiers had camera. Also military regulations about cameras were less stringently enforced by the Wehrmacht, we think reflecting the triumphant nature of the early years of the War. Military authorities began to think that they had nmuch to worry about. War time shortages made it very difficult for individuals to obtain color film which at any rate was very expensive. Black-and-white film, hpwever, seems readily available in most countries. After the War, the devestated economies and difficult economic conditions curtailed a wide range of activities, including photography. We note some very small, almost postage stamp-sized prints. This was especially common in Germany. The size of snapshot prints varied. The most common size/format (aspect ratio) seems to have been about 3 x 5 inches, but there were many different sizes. Prints had white margins. Prints with serrated edes continued to be common in the 1940s. We note them in several different countries. Our archive is limited at a few countries at this time at least in large numbers of images. We note these serated edges in both North America (the United States) and Europe (Germny). Hopefully readers will provide insights about snap shot trends in their country. The American snapshot taken in 1949 on the previous page is a good example. We also note straight-cut edges. We do not yet have a good feel as to the relative prevalence of the serrated/straight edges.

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Created: 6:21 AM 6/3/2011
Last updated: 6:11 PM 7/2/2012